Friction driving mechanism for motor road and other vehicles



C. F. BEAUVAIS FRICTION DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR ROAD 'AND OTHER VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1920.

1 ,359,950 Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

c. F. BEAUVAIS. FRICTION DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR ROAD AND OTHER VEHiCLESh APPLICATION man JULY 31, I920. 1,359,950;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' CHARLES FREDERICK nnanvarsor CA BERWELL, ronnon, EJNGLANDJJQ V rnrcrron DRIVING MECHANISM non Moron ROAD-AND ornnn var-norms. 7

Application filed July 31, 1920. 7 Serial No. 400,479.

' useful Improvements in or Relating to Friction Driving-Mechanism for Motor Road] and other Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlonrelates to improvements in friction driving mechanism particularly for use on motor road and other vehicles and to such mechanism of the type *comprlslng axcone or. the llke on the main' drive shaft, a driven shaft, a friction wheel or diskslidably mounted on said drivenshaft,

means for moving said friction wheel longi= tudinally of sa1d (zone,- and means'for conveying motion from the driven shaft to the wheels of the vehicle.

. The invention has for its obje t t vide improved friction driving mechanism of the type 1n which slippmg wlll'be reduced to the minimum and in which better contactwill be obtained.

"The present" invention is characterized in that the cone is angularly moved into contact with the friction wheel or disk.

' Theinvention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,fin which Figure 1 is a sectional side' elevation of one formof the invention;

Fig; 2- 1s a plan thereof; 7 Fig. 3'is a perspective view;

Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail of thecone contact operating mechanism its operatlve po s1t1on;'and' Fig; 5 is a similarvi'ew to Fig. 4 showing,

the position ofthe' cone operating mechanism when the cone is out of contact.

According to one form of; this invention a cone 1, of metal or other suitahlemateriaL is secured to "a shaft 2' whichislong-itudinally arranged infthe chassis frame 30f a motor car. This shaft 2 whichis rotatably mounted in suitable ball bearings to be hereinafter described is connected through the" medium" of a shaft 4 and universal joints 5 V- to the enginenot shownfdis'posed in the 'front of the' car. The cone carrying shaft '2 is preferablymounted at its forward end in'a elf alining ball bearing 6 carried by a transverse member -7 which is secured at each end to the {sides of the chassis frame res r-Arn T FF E;

' specification of LettersPatent; V P tgnt d'ng ,1 0;

Upon this member is'for'med'or secured a bracketti whichis adapted to carry a ball bearlng 9 in which is mounted the inner end of a squared orotherwise suitably-shaped shaft 10 arranged" above and parallel with the'face of the cone l. This latter shaft 10 V is carried at its other end "in another. bearing'll which is mountedin a frame 1-2 secured to the chassis 3 and to the bracket 8 by a" rod or like connection 13. -Upon the rod 13 is slidably mounted a' member M which Is adapted toj be operated throug h suitableconnections by a handlever or the like arranged adjacent to the drivers seat.

This member li is formed with a forked end and is adapted to engage with a collar 15 and move a friction wheel or disk 16 which, is slidably' mounted on the squared shaft 10; The "periphery of the friction wheel 16" is preferably provided withffib'ejr or rubber which is adapted to normally con-Q tact w1th the facelof the cone 1-'. A be'veL- r wheel or the like 17 is secured onjthe inner end of the friction wheel shaft 10 and is "disposed between a pair of bevel-wheels" 18 and 19. preferably loosely -mounted' on a countershaft' 20 arranged transversely across the chassis 3. This countershaftQO is pref- 1 'erably formed or provided intermediate the bevel wheels 18 and "19 "with a key 21 on. y

22 whichis adapted to be moved into or out which is slidably mounted a clutch member of engagement' with either of the "bevel wheels1 8 and 19[ On" the outer-ends of the countershaft 20 are secured-pulley"wheels] :23 and 24;, These pulley wheels 23 and 24- are connected by chains or bolts 25 and 26v J V to-simi'larivvheels'27 and28 provided on the.

rear a de and adjaceht to; each wheel to conveyniotlon to the said rear axle ;29 .t'-ro'm the: countershaft 20; 7' The? clutch mend her 22 isadapted to be moved on the counte'r'shaft' 20 tolock either "one? or the other of the oppositely disposed bevel'fw'he els 18 or 19 to the countershaft QO to'enab'lemotion tobeconveyedj from the' bevel wheeY-l'l Y on the friction wheelshaft 10, bymeans' of an operating lever arranged adja'centto the drivers seat and suitable connections which are secured to a b ell cranki'leverarranged c the said to movethe said clutch mmberu22. Thus the 'countershaft 20 can be rotated in either direction according to" which'bevel wheel is 7 locked thereon and the speed 'of countershaft can be varied according to the position'of the friction wheel 16 in relation to the cone member 1. I V

The inner end of the cone member 1 is reduced in diameter, as shown at 30 in Fig. 1, so that when the friction wheel 16 is in this position it will be out of contact with the said cone member 1., The cone member 1 which is adapted to bemoved into contact with the: friction wheel 16 is mounted at its outer end in a self-alining ball bearing 31 which is 'slidably mounted in any suitable manner in a transverse carrying member 32 or in the rear portion of the chassis frame 3-. This ball bearing 31 is vertically movablebetween aipair of levers 33 pivoted at 34-to, the member 32. The levers .33 are fitted, with rollers or the like 35 which are adapted to contact with the inclined faces of lugs or extensions 36 formed or provided on the ball bearing 31. The outer ends of the levers 33 are connected by a spring 37 which is preferably adapted to be adjustedthrough the medium of link connection 3'7 adjustably mounted on the outer end of one of the-levers 33. The levers 33 are adapted to bemoved'apart to lower the cone member 1 out of contact with the friction wheel 16, by means of togglelinks 38 which are actuated by any suitable means, such as Bowden wire mechanism indicated at 39 under the control of the driver, 'VVhen the cone member '1 is in its operative or contact position the levers 33 are drawn together'bv the spr ng 37 to the positionshown in Fig.4; When it is desired to movevthe cone member lout of contact the Bowden wire mechanism is actuated to move the toggle links 38 and open the levers 33 against the action of the spring 37 e and thereby allow the cone I of the driverand working on a selector arm.

If desired. the sliding member 14 which is 'be cont olled from the drivers seat by av ca- 7 position.

ble or Bowden wire mechanism against the action ofa spiralgor other suitable spring connected at one end to the said sliding member l fand at its other end to the rear frame 12 of the device. The friction wheel 16 when'out ofoperation would in this case be held out of conta'ct with the wider'or rear endof the cone member 1 and in a neutral In a slightlvmodified construction the pair-of bevel wheels 18 and 19is secured on a sleeve which is slidablybut non-rotatablv mounted on the countershaft 20. In this instance the sleeve is adapted to be moved through the medium of suitable connections by the operating lever to place one or other of the bevel wheels 18'or 19 into mesh with l The gyroscopic action of the revolving cone,

situated at the extreme rear of the car, will have a steadying effect on the car at a high speed.

What I claim is 1. A friction driving mechanism compris ing a drive shaft, a driven shaft in angular relation thereto and adjacent to the drive shaft, a" friction, wheel rotatable with and slidable along the driven shaft, a cone mountt ed on'the drive shaft to rotate therewith and normally engage the friction wheel,'a

bearing for theend of the drive shaft carryingthe large end of the cone, andtoggle mechanism, controllable from a distance and in turn controlling the end of the drive shaft carrying the large end of the cone, for movfrom the path of travel of the friction wheel.

, 2. A friction drivingvmechanism comprising a drive shaft, a driven shaft in angular relation thereto and adjacent to the drive shaft, a friction wheel rotatable with and slidable along the driven shaft, a cone mounting said large end of the cone toward and ed on the'drive-shaft to rotate therewith e and normally engage the friction wheel, a bearing for the end of" the drive shaft'carrye ing the large end of the cone, and toggle mechanism. controllable from a distance and in turn controlling the end of the drive.

shaft carrying the large end of thecone, for moving said large end of the cone toward and from the path of travel of the friction Wheel, said adiusting means com prising opposed pivoted levers, a soring'con- 'necting the levers andtending to draw them together, inclined members engaged by'the levers for sustaining the endof the drive shaft carrying the large end of the cone, and

spring.

wheel slidableaalong and rotatableiwith the driven shaft for'engagement with the cone,

at different points along its surface, an adadjacent to the large end of the cone, inclined .members on opposite sidesof the bearing,

levers onopposite sides of the'bearing and engaging the inclines" thereon, spring means I 1 fast to the levers and having a normal tend-,;

ency to draw the levers together, toggle links connected to the levers for moving justable bearing supporting the driveshaft them in opposition to the spring, and means controllable from a distance for causing the operation of the toggle links.

4. A friction driving mechanism compris- 1ng a drive shaft, a cone fast thereon, a

driven shaft angularly related to and ex:

tended lengthwise of the vdrive shaft, a friction wheel slidable along and rotatable with the driven shaft for engagement with the inclined members on opposite sides of the bearing, levers on opposite sides of the bearmg and engaging the inclines thereon, spring means fast to the levers and having a normal tendency to draw the levers together, toggle links connected to the levers for moving them in opposition to the spring, and means controllable from a distance for causing the operation of the toggle links, the spring having means to adjust its tension,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 7 signed my name.

' CHARLES FREDERICK BEAUVAIS. 

